Disappearing electric device and cabinet



March 3, 1931. w. B. BLAKE 1,794,667

DISAPPEARING ELECTRIC DEVICE AND CABINET Filed Aug. 50, 1928 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

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f A TTORNEYJZ Patented Mar. 3, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM B. BLAKE, F MARION, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR TO R'UTENBER ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF MARION, INDIANA, A CORPORATION DISAPPEARING ELECTRIC DEVICE AND CABINET Application filed August 30, 1928. Serial No. 302,976.

The object of this invention is to provide a practical and convenient means for mounting an electric device, such as an electric heater, electric fan and the like, in a cabinet,

and the parts arranged so that when. the electric heater or the like is not in use it will be enclosed'in the cabinet and out of sight, and when the electric heater or the like is to be used, the door of the cabinet is opened, and

the means connected with or controlled by the door causes simultaneous outward movement of the electric device and turning on the current, and when the door is closed, it causes simultaneous inward movement of the device and turning off the current.

To the foregoing end the electric heater or like electric device is slidably mounted with in the cabinet so it can be moved into the cabinet or moved outward and yet be supported by the cabinet with the main part of the heater or device extending out of the cabinet so as to be eifectiv-e in use, and a connecting bar extends from the door to the support of the electric heater or the like so as to move said support outward and inward as the door is opened and closed and cause the elec tric circuit to be closed in the outward movement and to be opened in the inward movement of the electric heat-er or the like.

Such arrangement enables a cabinet, which may be an attractive piece of furniture in the room, to receive and obscure from view the electric heater or like when not in use and move it forward into effective operative position and turn on the current when the cabinet door is opened.

The full nature of the invention will be understood from the accompanying drawings and the following description and claim: In the drawings Fig. 1 is a perspective view of the apparatus while the electric heater or device is in use. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section substantially through the forward portion of the cabinet and device when the cabinet is closed, the rear portion being broken away. Fig. 3 is a similar view with the parts in position while the door is Open and. the electric device is in operation, the cabinet being broken away between its ends. Fig. 4 is a central vertical longitudinal section through Fig. 3, when the electric device is in use, the rear and bottom portions being broken away. Fig. 5 is a cross section through a partof the device on the line 55 of Fig. 4, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 6 shows the forward portion of the device as it appears in Fig. 4 with an electric fan mounted thereon instead of the electric heater.

As seen in Fig. 1 there is a cabinet 10 with double front doors 11 and said cabinet is provided with double rear doors 12 at the rear, as shown in Fig. 3. The cabinet may be in any desired form with a bottom 13 and preferably the front doors 11 are doubly curved or ogee-shaped, as shown. I

The device has been invented with particular reference to its use as an electric heating apparatus, and to that end there is shown herein a radiant reflector 15 which is mounted on a reflector frame 115, and a central rear-wardly-extending arm 16 which is secured by a bolt 17 to the upper end of a support 1.8 that is slidable on the bottom 13 of the cabinet from the inner position, indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 4, to the outer position indicated by full lines. The heater has a heating coil 20 secured to the central part of the reflector and protected in front by the usual guard 21 which is secured to the reflector 15. The heater is supplied with current through the lines 22, 23 and 24, one of said lines extending from some suitable source of electric current and the other to a suitable ground, so as to form an electric circuit.

The support 18 for the electric heater is formed of metal having triangular sides, as shown, and a narrow front wall 25 with lateral side flanges 26, as shown in Fig. 5. Said support is slidably mounted on a metal plate 27 which is screwed upon the bottom 13 of the cabinet, as seen in Fig. 5, and said flanges are held in place and reciprocated in metal guideways 27 which are stationary and secured on the plate 125. Therefore, the support 18 has no integral bottom plate between the two sides thereof which enables the said two sides to be slipped inwardly from the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to that shown in Fig. 2 and the dotted lines in Fig. 4.

The inward and outward sliding movefrom the closed position shownin Fig. 2 tothe mentof said support 18 is caused by the connecting bars 30 which are pivotally connected with the front doors 11, about midway thereof, and to a bracket 31'of the wall 25 of the support 18. Therefore, when the front doors 11 are opened by pulling on the knobs thereof,-

open position shown in Fig. 3, said frame 18 and electric device carried thereby will be moved outwardly in p'osition for use, as-seen 'matically opened and closed through the opening and closing of the door. To that end, there is one contact member which is. stationary and mountedon a bracket 36 secured upon the plate 125 and connected with. the li'ne 2%, and there is another contact memberBZ secured to therear end of an extension) 38from the side walls of the electric heater support 1 8- and that terminal or con, tact piece has connected-with it the line 23. When the door-isclosed, as shown in Fig. 2,! saidterinina-ls are at a considerable distance apart,v but when thedoor is opened; and the electric device moved outward and thesupe port 1 8 moved to the forward position shown in. Figs. 1,? and 4,,the rear terminal 37" will bebroughtinto contact with the terminal 35,, as seen bestin Fig, 4. That will" closethecircuit and it will remain closed until the: doors of the cabinet are closed moving the heater and its support inward to-the-position shown in Fig. 2 and", the. dotted lineposition shown in Fig; 4.

"Nhile an electricheater is, herein shown, an electric fan; 40 or like electric device may be substitu ted 'for' the heater by removing the bolt'l'fi The idea isthat a fanican be used v in the summer season and a heater intlie f-all', winter and spring seasons, and: that while said; devices are not in use they are obscured and remain in the cabinet, but when, desired they may be quickly brought into use byopeningthe door; By the doors being-"ogeeshape, as shown, the connecting bars 30 may;

lie-relatively shorter and the'operation some.- what improvedover straight. door construction. Thecabi'net may be of such size aste be suitable for supporting upon the topthereof a: smoking outfitor any other desired. ar- EIClQS V Therear doors 12 makethe'interior accessible from: the rear for mounting; and;

caring. for the internal: mechanism.

r The invention claimed is:

Disappearing electric device and; cabinet including a cabinet with a vertically-disposed hinged door, an electric device, a support in the upper end of which said device is removably mounted and having a front wall and a pair of rearwardly-extending side walls with outwardly-turned flanges at the lower ends: thereof, a bar i votallyconnected to the front part'of said support and with a door for moving said support and electric device i mv zn d and outward; fi xed guideways at the lower partiof said cabinet-in which the flanges of said support extend and operate, an el 'ectric'circuit forsaid electric device with a switch for controlling the same having a stationary member in fixed position, anda frame secured to and extending: rearward fromthe sidesv of said support and: fiQSlQlQ said switch member and carrying the other one of saidswitch memberssothat said latter switclr member may be movedinto a switchrclosing position whent-he door is openand; will. be returned to switclnopening position: when the door is-v-closed- In witness whereof,I have hereuntoaifixed my signature.

WILLIAM 13.. BLAKE," 

